Spring mattress



Sept. 10, 1929. w. LEWIS 1,727,654

' SPRING MATTRESS Filed April 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if/T ass, T a Q flrro NEY6,

Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

w nner: LEWIS, or truck, NEW YORK.

srnmo ma'r'rnnss.

Application filed April 26,

This invention relates to a spring mattress but more particularly to bed springs of the helical spring type in which the springs are arranged in upright positions in parallel lengthwise rows spaced uniform distances apart and also in transverse parallel rows with uniform spaces between them.

It is well-known that in spring mattresses of this character as generally constructed there is always more or less tendency of the upper helices to sag or become permanently depressed along the longitudinal center after a relatively short period of use and the main object of the present invention is to provide means for effectively resisting this tendency or, in other words, toassist in maintainingall portions of the upper surface of the mattress in substantially the same horizontal plane in addition to the objects set forth in my pending application Serial'No. 99,261, filed April In this type of mattress the major helical springs are of uniform height and are supported upon a lower deck while the intermediate portions are held against relative lateral movement by an intermediate floating deck some distance from the lower and upper ends of the springs and yielding-1y supported by the underlying portions'thereof while at the same time constituting a support for the overlying portionsof the springs and one of the specific objects is to interposeadditional relatively short helical springs between the lower intermediate decks so as to alternate with the major springs along one of the intermediate or central rows.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the mattress will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan, partly broken away, of a bed spring mattress embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken on line'2-2, Figure 1, portions of the mattress being broken away.

1 Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view, partly broken away, taken on line 33, Figure 1.

5 -As illustrated, this mattress comprises a 1927. Seria1 No. 186,688.

lower deck frame 1 consisting of series of cross bars -2 arranged in horizontal parallel spaced relation' and having their opposite ends bent or extended upwardly at 3 above the plane of the remaining portions thereof and secured to oppositesidelengthwise rails "4 which are also parallel and determine the width of the mattress.

These cross bars are additionally held in fixed spaced relation by a central lengthwise bar which is also disposed in a horizontal planeparallel with and midway between the side rails -4 and at right angles to the cross bars 2 and preferably consisting of sections '5% arranged end to end and having their opposite ends riveted or otherwise rig-j idly secured tofthe adjacent cross bars as shown'more clearly in Figure 2.

These cross bars 2' and lengthwise bar 5 are preferably made of sheet metal strips of uniform width, the major portions of the cross bars 2 between the up-turned ends 3 being disposed edgewise Vertically while the lengthwise bar sections +5 between the crossbars are preferably arranged flatwise horizontally in'a horizontal plane glightly above the upper edges of the (cross ars.

A set of major helical 1 springs 6' are mounted'at their lower ends upon'the lower deck 2toextend upwardly therefrom to approximately the same height, said spring being preferably arranged along and directly over the cross bars 2 to form parallel lengthwise'rows and also parallel transverse rows in sufliciently spaced relation to avoid contact one with the other. f g 1 j The central'lengthwise bar sections form apart ofthe lower deck to assist in carrying out the main object of the invention or more specifically tosupport a separateset of relatively short su pple amental helical springs 7 alternating with the major 'springs 6 of the corresponding row in equally spaced relation thereto, and in longitudinal alinement therewith, said I {supplemental springs having theirlower ends secured to the central portions of the lengthwise bar secs tions 5% to extend upwardly therefrom A slightly less than half the height of the ma- 'jor springs 6 for a purpose hereinafter described. The lower helices of the major springs 6 rest upon the upper edges of the cross bars 2- and are held in operative position by lengthwise wires 8 extending through the lower rheliceswof the major. springsiand also aroundthe-undersides ofthecross bars 2 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. v

The lower helices of the supplemental springs 7 are passedthrol'i'gh suitable loops 9 on the-underlying portions of the central lengthwise bar sections said loops being struck up from the barsections 5 and serve to hold'the lower ends of the supplemental spring against lateraldisplacement relativelythereto.v I 1 An intermediate horizontal or floating deck '10 is mounted upon the upperendsof the I supplemental" springs '-7 in normally spaced parallel relation to the lower deck 4 1 and is also operatively connected to the intermediate helices of the. major springs G in such manner thatthe intermediate deck willbe partially supported by the portions of the major springs between the lower and intermediate decks while the remaining portions o'fthe major springs will extend upwardly fromo-sai'd intermediate deck.v This intermediate deck preferably co1nprises a series of lengthwise bars 11 one for each lengthwise row of the major springs 6- and each extending between, adjacent intermediatdhelices of the major springs across theaaxis thereof, and a plurality of cross bars ,12- arranged in parallel spaced relation'acrossand at right-angles to the lengthwise bars. -1land secured at-the crossings by any'suitablefasteni-ng means. J

It i s'preferable'to use an even number of major springs '-6 in each lengthwise row andfto ar'range the crossIbars 12 in uniformly spaced parallel relation midwaybetween adjacent transverse rows of theimajor springs and, therefore, acrossthe upper ends of, the corresponding supplemental springs Theopposite ends'of the lengthwise bars l1 of the floating deck 10 extend beyond the adjacent helices ofthetransverse end rows of springs andiare connected by additional cross bars. to assist the in termediate cross bars-in holdingthe lengthwise bars 1l ,in spaced parallelrelation and in stifiening theifloating deckj.lO,- as

a whole, it being understood that the lengthwise bars 11+ and cross bar s -l2. are rigidly secured to each otherrat their crossings by anysuitable fastening means such as spot welding.

As'previouslystatedthemajorsprings-6-- extend upwardly somedistance. above the intermediate deck 10- and the upper'ends or "helices offadjacen't rows are connected by horizontal diagonally extending coiled so that pressureapplied to any particular portionof the marginal frame -15 will be distributed to practically all of the springs along the corresponding side or end of the mattress and to adj acent intermediate springs thereby-reducing the, liability of permanent deformation or sagging of those portions of the mattress which are most frequently used. In'orderto further overcome the liability of permanent sagging of portions of the. marginal edges of the mattress the opposite ends of the crossbars l2 of the intermediate deck areconnected by braces -l7 to the adjacentv portions of the marginal frame 15+ which also serve to transmit loads upon the marginal frame 15- to the intermediate deck 12- and thence through the underlying portions of the major springs =6 to theIlower deck l-.

Additional coiled springs '-18 are interposed between the upper outer ends ofthe braces l7 and inwardly projecting ledges 19 onthe adjacent portions of the side rails 4 to further resist the downward depression and deformation of the outer portions of the upper deck frame 15 to assist in restoring saidqframe to its horizontal plane when pressure thereon is removed.

The particular feature of the present invention, however, lies in the use of the relatively short supplemental springs -7: between the longitudinal center of the intermediate deck 10' and the underlying vportion of the lower deck .l--in combination with the operative (connection of the marginal edges of the intermediate deck with the intermediate portions of the major springs6 for the purpose of preventingthe saggingof the surface of the mattress from the marginal edges toward the center particularly when unequal weights are-applied to said surface at opposite sides of the longitudinal center in which casethe relatively short springs 7 vtend to prevent excessive-depression of the longitudinal center of the surface of the; mattress whileat the same time affording ahigh degree of resiliency, not only between the upper and intermediate decksgbut also between the intermediateand lower deckswhere-the spring resistance, particularlyPatt-he longitudinal center is somewhat greater than from the longitudinal center toward the sides.

That is, the portions ofthe major= springs 6 above the intermediate deck are quite resilient and easily ,depressiblelunder light loads upon the upper deck but asthese loads increase the increased resistance of the upper portions of the springs is gradually transmitted to the lower portions of said springs and to the relatively shorter supplemental spring 7-, all of which together with the said additional side springs 18 contribute to the maintenance of a uniform level of the 10 upper surface of the mattress.

It will also be observed that any pressure applied to any portion of the upper deck or upper ends of the major springs 5 will first be transmitted to the upper portions of said springs and thence to the intermediate deck l0 which in turn will transmit the excess load to the underlying portions of the major springs 6 and also to the central row of supplemental springs which latter owing to their increased resistance to the depression of the central portion of the mat tress below the lower deck greatly reduces the liability of sagging of the central portion of the upper deck below the longitudinal edges thereof thereby carrying out the main object of the invention.

What I claim is In a spring mat-tress, a lower deck, an upper deck, an odd number of lengthwise rows of coiled springs supported upon the lower deck and supporting the upper deck, an intermediate deck partially supported by said springs, and relatively short coiled springs interposed between the lower and intermediate decks in alinement with the center roW of the first named springs.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of April 1927.

WILLIAM LEWVIS. 

